If You Can't Walk Through Hell, Crawl
by Hannahmayski
Summary: Kiba is only young when he decides to be a field medic.


**Summary: Kiba is only young when he decides to be a field medic.**

 **Kiba Week, Day 5** **— Alternate universe/Universe alteration, AKA, a day for absolutely anything you want him to be, whether the change is subtle or extreme.**

 **Someone said that they liked my OC from my fic "Hold Your Head High, Stick Your Chest Out" (I can't remember where… or who.. I cry) so I may have written about them more! Now she has a name, Tamika!**

 **I'm sorry for any errors!**

* * *

It's early morning and Kiba is perched on top a tree branch, Akamaru looking at him a little way off, confused at the sudden pause in their run, when Kiba decides that he is going to become a field medic.

Kurenai had suggested he think about it and he knows he wants more out of his career as a shinobi than the killing. Not that he's not good at that part, because he is, but he wants to be able to do _more._

He looks down at his hands and knows deep down he can do it. No one thinks Kiba can do much, or will ever amount to much, but Kiba _knows_ this is something he can become good at, great at even.

He nods in conviction, taking off to the next branch, his mind made up. It won't be easy, but he'll do it.

* * *

Kiba goes to his Aunt Akiko first. She is a hardened shinobi and is on par with his mum when it comes to how terrifying she is. Akiko is a Jounin, more of a rare thing among the Inuzuka given their very specialised skills.

Kiba isn't sure if Akiko is actually his aunt or if she just decided that's what she was going to be for Hana and Kiba. Regardless, Akiko is who Kiba aspires to be, and despite her reputation that she could crush someone's skull with her bare hands (which, knowing Akiko, Kiba is more inclined to believe) she is an amazing field medic.

Akiko nearly knocks him over in her haste to crush him in a bone-breaking hug, and he returns it just as fiercely. Akamaru is tiny compared to her ninken, older, heavily scarred much like Akiko herself and yet still terribly playful.

They pull back, and Kiba looks up at her. He knows it's a lot to ask, but he wants to able to help not just kill, and that's not just going to happen on its own.

"Akiko," he says. "I need to learn field medicine."

* * *

Kiba's hands are covered in blood and now, while in the middle of the war, that Kiba thinks he finally understands the conundrum.

Healing and killing. It's a weird balance to have, and Kiba genuinely doesn't think he has it. He'll have to save many more people to balance out with the ones he's taken. Luckily though, he doesn't think the Zetsu clones really count as 'taking a life'.

Kiba leans over a wounded Iwa-nin and he's exhausted, physically, and mentally. He presses his hand to the gaping crater in the man's chest and knows that he's a lost cause. Still, Kiba pulls himself together for what feels like the thousandth time that day and looks the shinobi in the eyes.

"It's okay," he says. "You're gonna be fine." Kiba's channelling the chakra into his hands so fast, trying to repair the tissue damage and sew together the blood vessels to try and save him. But the blood is pooling around his hands faster than he can repair the damage.

Kiba smiles at him and sees him calm down. "Close your eyes," Kiba says. "I've got you, it's okay."

Tamika, the Suna-nin he'd met the day before is at his back, her hand is splayed out across his back. It's obvious she's concerned, but Kiba is still grateful for her presence.

Akamaru sits by the man's head and they all watch the man before them slowly, so, so slowly die.

For what feels like an eternity, Kiba just stares. He stares at his closed eyes, at the blood he'd coughed up around his mouth and he can't look away. He can't move his hands.

Tamika slowly and carefully grasps Kiba's wrists and pulls them out of the mass of blood and mess of the man's chest.

Kiba takes a shuddering breath. He knew it was never going to be easy. He knew that taking lives and saving them are taxing in different ways. He _knew_ it would be hard, but that doesn't make it any easier.

"You were able to give him peace," Tamika says, a hand on his shoulder. "I don't know why you started field medicine, but this is why you should keep going."

Kiba takes another, measured breath as Akamaru watches him carefully. The war isn't going to stop to give Kiba a breather, and Kiba wanted to expand his arsenal. He wanted to help.

He turns to look at Tamika, and her presence is steadying. They balance each other out and he's forever thankful that she had come to him when she needed the soothing presence of Akamaru and since then they hadn't left each other's side.

"Thanks," Kiba says.

She nods in response, unsheathing one of her kunai, "don't worry about it, there are more people to save."

Akamaru leaps up, barking loudly in Kiba's ear making him flinch. Being a field medic is harder than anything he could have imagined. But, he thinks, as he pulls himself upright as Tamika watches him carefully, he doesn't regret the decision at all.


End file.
